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A single-molecule biophysicist in the final stages of a PhD.

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Food & Drink > Cooking (Other) Easy Mexican side dishes: 3 of 12
Rice and beans-pinto beans (frijoles pintos) and peruano/mayacoba beans (fijoles peruanos or frijoles mayacobas) in the north, and black beans (frijoles negros) in the south-are the ubiquitous Mexican side dishes, on the table as part of all or most meals. Recipes for both, in various regional styles, abound. Instead of provi... More..
Sciences > Physics What is a fractal?: 2 of 8
Magnify an ordinary curve, like a parabola, and no new detail appears. As one magnifies it further and further, a line becomes a very good approximation. Most curves have this property, and likewise most surfaces can be very well approximated by a single plane at sufficient magnification. Fractals, on the other hand, have str... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Party Politics & Ideology Erosion of the Bill of Rights: Left's effect: 1 of 4
Although the threat of a hard left turn, with the associated deprivations and abuses, looms in the background, the most salient current threat to our traditional liberties in the USA comes from our current right-leaning populist Executive; to those caught up in the moment without much conception of history, "we have always be... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Should Amtrak receive more federal funding?: 1 of 4
According to Bryan Caplan, author of The Myth of the Rational Voter, the vast majority of us haven't gotten over a troglodytic aversion to profit. We look at businesses, anyone trying to make money, and say "they are greedy". What people ought to realize is that markets transformed society for the better. As Ludwig von Mises ... More..
Food & Drink > Ethnic & International Foods How to roast chiles: 3 of 11
Chiles are roasted in Mexican cuisine primarily to remove the tough and bitter skin, with the side effect of bringing out their juices and adding an inscrutable "roasted" note to the flavor. Any chile, including bell peppers and jalapenos, may be roasted, but Anaheim, Hatch, and Poblano peppers are the most common varieties p... More..
Autos > Auto Repair (Other) How to increase the life of your vehicle: 2 of 6
Body panels rust, moving parts wear, weatherstripping and bushings stiffen and crack; cars inevitably get old. They can be kept running nearly indefinitely as long as replacement parts, either new or from junkyards, are available, but eventually the costs of upkeep outweigh the utility of the vehicle, and we can say that it h... More..
Food & Drink > Ethnic & International Foods How to fold a burrito: 5 of 14
Burrito folding seems at first to be a kitchen skill that takes a certain talent or a lot of practice, but a bit of sense actually goes further than anything else. The flaps everyone worries about tucking in should be folded first, then the burrito ought to be rolled up. This is the same method used at many burrito restaurant... More..
Food & Drink > Dessert Recipes Recipes: Chocolate pots de creme: 3 of 8
Pots de creme are baked custards in the French style. Elegant in the true sense of the word, they are rather simple-allowing the cook ample opportunity to add personal flair-yet add a special touch to the end of a meal.Basic recipe (serves 4):Ingredients:2 cups whole milk5 large egg yolks3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, choppe... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political & Economic Theory What should be done about the US future labor shortage: 5 of 13
The solution is simple: Let the market work!Currently the United States have an immigration policy driven largely by xenophobia. Quotas are put on immigration, and options for unskilled workers to come legally to the States are limited, to the point where there is already a labor shortage, being alleviated somewhat by the pre... More..
Food & Drink > Ethnic & International Foods How corn is used in Mexican cuisine: 2 of 5
A then-mysterious disease called pellagra, causing dermatitis, skin lesions, aggression, dementia, and death, in the early 1900s reached epidemic levels in areas where corn (maize to European readers) was a staple food, such as northern Italy, central Africa, and the southern USA. It was thought that corn contained an accumul... More..